Language Access for All Act of 2026

Key Points

• Every federal agency would have one year to ensure that people with limited English proficiency can meaningfully access government programs and services, including translating vital documents into frequently encountered and dominant U.S. languages based on Census data.
• Agencies must provide free oral interpretation, sight translation, telephonic and remote interpretation services, and post multilingual notices so people know help is available. Qualified bilingual staff can serve as an alternative to hiring outside interpreters.
• AI and machine translation tools can be used to help, but they cannot fully replace human translators or interpreters. A qualified human must verify every AI-generated translation, and agency inspectors general must audit these AI systems at least every two years.
• The Attorney General would create a public complaint system and a central website at LEP.gov. Agencies must respond to complaints within 60 days, and annual reports would track which agencies are falling short and in which languages.
• Failure to comply would be treated as discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, giving the Department of Justice power to investigate, take administrative action, and seek civil remedies against non-compliant agencies.
• Each agency must appoint a Language Access Coordinator to oversee implementation, arrange mandatory annual training for staff who interact with the public, and evaluate the agency's language access plan starting three years after enactment.